1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a small-sized electronic card, such as a CF card or an Express card. In particular, it is related to electronic cards to which an electrostatic countermeasure has been applied.
2. Related Art
In recent years, among such small-sized electronic cards such as CF cards or Express cards, there are those in which ICs (Integrated Circuits) have been mounted on substrates thereof for storing information (data) or performing computations. In addition, such electronic cards are being widely used as storage media or as devices and the like for adding various functions, in various electronic apparatuses such as personal computers, digital cameras, or the like.
Incidentally, the above-mentioned electronic cards usually have positioned internally therein a substrate incorporating electronic circuits, while having contacts, which are connected to the electronic circuits, which are formed to be connectable to external apparatuses. As a result, for example, if a user using an electronic card that is charged with static electricity, then if the user comes into contact with the electronic card, or approaches the electronic card, there are cases where a discharge of static electricity from the user toward a contact may occur. Such a discharge of static electricity carries the danger of significantly affecting electronic circuits, such as causing damage to the electronic circuit connected to the contact.
As a countermeasure for the above, there is a technology for forming a container case containing a substrate that incorporates an electronic circuit with such conductive materials as a metal plate and the like. For example, the electronic card disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-48159 is configured such that, in a case in which a user or the like who has an electrostatic buildup approaches the electronic card, and static electricity or the like is discharged from the user to the electronic card, static electricity is actively made to be discharged to the container case. This kind of electronic card is designed so that, by way of actively causing static electricity and the like to be discharged to a container case that does not conduct electricity to the electronic circuit incorporated in the substrate, electronic circuits in the electronic card are not affected by the static electricity.